After Dong Yeyun confirmed with Chen Zhou that the youth who had just left the stage was Zhou Zixi, he praised Zhou Zixi’s rare array formation speed to Ming Li. Ming Li replied languidly: “It’s decent, I suppose.”

“Aren’t your standards too high?” Dong Yeyun said in surprise. “Even though North Dipper has eight Meridians Awakened talents everywhere, his array formation speed is still among the very best.”

“His array formation speed is indeed fast,” Ming Li casually scanned the crowd. “But that’s all it is—fast. His arrays use too few high-level spirit techniques, posing no significant threat. As quickly as he can form arrays, others can break them at the same speed.”

Dong Yeyun thought carefully and found some logic in her words.

But after thinking further, he felt something was off. He turned to Ming Li and said: “That ‘other person’ you mentioned is you, isn’t it!”

Given Ming Li’s strength, Zhou Zixi’s Eight Meridians Array didn’t appear so impressive, as she could easily break it.

“Who else would it be?” Ming Li looked back at him with confusion. “Not just me, but anyone at Six Meridians Full Realm or above wouldn’t be easily trapped. Otherwise, how would brother have time to praise him to me? He would have already gone to test himself against this little junior brother.”

Dong Yeyun said, “Then I’ll go test him.”

*

Zhou Zixi felt a sense of belonging for the first time during this year’s Four Directions Trial. As a North Dipper disciple participating in the competition, he heard the entire venue cheering after his victory.

His fellow disciples cheered him on while his senior brother put an arm around his shoulders, smiling provocatively at disciples from other sects.

Zhou Zixi found himself amid excitement, having his head ruffled by his senior brother, listening to Chen Zhou and Fu Yuan talking. The corners of his mouth curved up involuntarily.

He wanted to win, to take first place, to make North Dipper the victor of the Four Directions Trial.

A strong desire for victory arose in Zhou Zixi’s heart.

After each subsequent match, when coming down from the fighting platform, Zhou Zixi would unconsciously glance toward the edge of the viewing platform, but didn’t see the girl from before again.

Chen Zhou noticed this small gesture and asked him, “Are you looking for someone?”

Zhou Zixi shook his head.

But he was still somewhat concerned.

At the time, while many people were either surprised or cheering, looking at him with passionate gazes, the girl standing at the edge of the viewing platform had a calm gaze, a calmness that seemed to see through everything.

Zhou Zixi was not one to be arrogant about his cultivation talent, but when he met the girl’s gaze in that moment, he felt as if a voice was saying, “Your strength is merely average.”

For some reason, the girl’s momentary gaze lingered in Zhou Zixi’s mind, coming back to him whenever he had a quiet moment, just like now, as he unconsciously looked toward the edge of the viewing platform again.

Chen Zhou felt certain Zhou Zixi was looking for someone and asked who exactly he was searching for.

Zhou Zixi frowned, trying to recall, struggling to describe: “A very beautiful girl.”

Chen Zhou: “…”

“I’m not exaggerating, there are many beautiful girls who’ve come here recently,” Chen Zhou said. “So many that I can’t recognize them all.”

Yin Luo had the sharpest ears and immediately came over when he heard certain keywords: “What beautiful girl?”

Chen Zhou asked: “What sect or martial academy uniform was she wearing?”

“I don’t think it was a uniform,” Zhou Zixi said. “It was a very beautiful dress, red and white.”

“Not a disciple? I hope it’s not some martial academy teacher,” Yin Luo said, stroking his chin.

Zhou Zixi said, “She looked about my age.”

Chen Zhou: “Be more specific.”

Zhou Zixi thought carefully: “Oh… her braid was terrible, too loose, rather unsightly.”

Chen Zhou: “…”

Yin Luo: “…”

The two senior brothers exchanged a glance, immediately thinking of a certain person. Yin Luo coughed lightly and asked: “What did that beautiful girl with the ugly braid do to you?”

“Nothing really, just… she’s somewhat intriguing,” Zhou Zixi said, pinching the bridge of his nose softly.

He didn’t say what came next. It was because the girl’s gaze had made him feel looked down upon, yet her composure made him feel this was natural.

Chen Zhou leaned back in his chair, looking at the sky, no longer interested in investigating, and said lazily: “Because she’s beautiful?”

Zhou Zixi denied: “No.”

Yin Luo nodded to Chen Zhou: “It is.”

Zhou Zixi: “…”

I already said it’s not!

Chen Zhou gave him a sidelong glance and said languidly: “Speaking of your senior sister—”

Zhou Zixi looked over, and Chen Zhou continued: “That Eight Meridians Full Realm senior sister you haven’t met yet said that although your array formation speed is fast, your arrays aren’t strong enough, so the speed doesn’t matter. You need to be careful of opponents who recognize this weakness.”

“When facing opponents who are equally skilled in Eight Meridians Arrays, they can break your arrays quickly. You should study the circulation meridian more, as circulation incantations paired with the Eight Meridians Arrays are the fastest and most stable way to address your weakness.”

Zhou Zixi was stunned by what he heard. “Senior Sister Ming… has seen me?”

Chen Zhou shrugged, smiling with narrowed eyes: “That, I don’t know.”

*

Zhou Zixi performed excellently in the Four Directions Trial combat, cutting through disciples from other sects and martial academies to claim first place, making North Dipper the victor.

On the day it ended, the entire North Dipper was celebrating.

After his fighting spirit subsided, Zhou Zixi realized he might have drawn too much attention. What if his ghost-person identity was discovered later?

He sat contemplating beside the mountain flower path of Yaoguang Academy, with pink and white apricot blossoms in full bloom on both sides of the stone steps.

In the distance, Ming Li was walking slowly behind her brother. Seeing him carrying a sword toward the youth by the mountain flower path, she said languidly: “I won’t help, by the way.”

Dong Yeyun didn’t look back: “Who needs your help?”

He drew his sword and struck at the youth, startling the falling flowers. Zhou Zixi reacted swiftly, having no time to be surprised by this sudden attacker before another sword strike came.

Dong Yeyun simply wanted to exchange a few moves with Zhou Zixi. Knowing beforehand about his array formation speed, he gave Zhou Zixi no chance to form arrays, wanting to test if he had other skills.

Zhou Zixi broke off a flower branch to block the sword. He thought many things about this sudden attacker, filtering countless possibilities through his mind, finally settling on the people from the Martial Monitoring Alliance who had pursued him, and killing intent arose.

When Zhou Zixi intended to kill, he didn’t use the Eight Meridians Arrays but instead used the Body Technique meridian.

Ming Li stood on the mountain flower path, watching the two below. She observed the subtle changes in Zhou Zixi’s star power, and though slightly surprised, she still didn’t move.

Dong Yeyun also keenly sensed the change. Initially surprised by Zhou Zixi’s sudden acceleration and shadow flash, he then realized continuing the fight might be dangerous.

The youth before him was gathering strength, and his next strike would be fatal.

Dong Yeyun wasn’t confident he could control the situation, so he simply created distance. Just as he was about to explain, Chen Zhou’s voice came: “What are you two fighting about?”

Zhou Zixi’s movements stopped, his killing intent receding. Dong Yeyun looked past the youth to Chen Zhou and Qing Ying, who had emerged behind him.

However, Qing Ying waved to Ming Li standing above, calling out: “Senior Sister!”

Zhou Zixi had been about to turn around but paused at Qing Ying’s call of “Senior Sister,” slightly lifting his eyelids to look behind Dong Yeyun.

The girl stood quietly on the stone steps. The great wind stirred by the clashing star power lifted fallen flowers into the air before they dropped again.

Zhou Zixi once more met those bright eyes, but couldn’t see himself reflected in them.

Ming Li was looking at Qing Ying below, smiling at her with curved eyes.

—It’s her.

Zhou Zixi thought.

Seeing this Pilgrim senior sister for the first time, Zhou Zixi involuntarily compared her to the Book Saint.

The oppression, hatred, pain, and fear he had felt from the Book Saint, he couldn’t feel at all from his senior sister.

Dong Yeyun apologized to Zhou Zixi, saying he had been abrupt in his attack.

Chen Zhou asked: “Why attack without warning?”

Dong Yeyun said, “If he knew I was his master’s son, he certainly wouldn’t have dared to fight back.”

Zhou Zixi: “…”

That was indeed true.

*

Zhou Zixi, who had been at North Dipper for almost half a year, finally met the Pilgrim senior sister but didn’t dare approach or speak much with her.

Perhaps because he liked North Dipper, he feared being discovered as a ghost-person by the Pilgrim and history repeating itself.

After meeting Ming Li, Zhou Zixi often thought of the mountain man’s family.

The people of North Dipper were like the mountain men, all kind-hearted.

Kind people wouldn’t harm him, but they would make him leave North Dipper, leave the place he liked.

Initially, Zhou Zixi tried to avoid contact with Ming Li. When Chen Zhou and Qing Ying invited him to eat together, he would make various excuses to decline.

Occasionally, he would encounter Ming Li strolling around Yaoguang Academy’s grounds. Zhou Zixi would always bow his head respectfully, call her “Senior Sister,” and then keep his distance.

Despite this, after walking away, he couldn’t help but look back, watching his senior sister’s figure, only to discover she had never looked back at him.

Zhou Zixi even hid at Yuheng Academy for two months, saying he was going to learn Yin Meridian spirit techniques.

Yuheng Academy held its annual Yin-Yang Dual Meridian popularization course, open to disciples from all seven academies.

Before class began, disciples gathered to chat, mentioning Yaoguang Academy’s Pilgrim senior sister. Everyone’s eyes filled with admiration when speaking of Ming Li.

“Senior Sister Ming isn’t just formidable, she’s also beautiful, absolutely the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen,” one youth said, clutching his heart and gushing. “Last time I went to Yaoguang Academy, I happened to see Senior Sister Ming, and she even asked which academy I was from!”

Zhou Zixi sat at his place, flipping through a book. Hearing this, he inwardly scoffed—what’s so special about that? I’m her direct junior brother.

Yet his senior sister seemed to have never called him “junior brother.”

Zhou Zixi’s page-turning paused.

“I’ve never seen Senior Sister Ming.”

“Me neither. Ah, I wonder when I’ll get to see her.”

“Try your luck at Yaoguang Academy!”

“Yaoguang Academy isn’t that easy to visit, and even if you go, you might not meet her.”

“Dreams have everything—tonight I’ll dream that Senior Sister Ming is guiding my cultivation!”

Zhou Zixi glanced at the dreaming youth and gave an almost inaudible snort.

*

Recently, Ming Li has often gone to the mountain flower path near Yaoguang Academy. Before going, she would secretly steal a bowl of meat from the dining hall to feed the little dogs waiting on the mountain flower path.

There were six puppies in total, who knew where they came from, with no adult dog watching over them, romping and rolling about this section of the mountain path all day.

Ming Li, with nothing to do, enjoyed watching cats and dogs eat. She would sit by the stone steps and could watch for an entire day.

The day Zhou Zixi returned to Yaoguang Academy, he happened to encounter Ming Li feeding the puppies.

Ming Li was sitting on the stone steps, showing no intention of making way for him. In her view, there was still half the path available, enough for Zhou Zixi to pass.

Zhou Zixi approached and called “Senior Sister” for the first time, restraining himself from fleeing upon sight.

Ming Li responded with a sound of acknowledgment, casually stroking the fluffy dog’s head, rubbing against her side: “I heard you went to study at Yuheng Academy?”

Zhou Zixi couldn’t help wondering if his avoidance had been too obvious and had been noticed by his senior sister.

He nodded, still thinking about how to explain, when Ming Li casually said, “Study well.”

The conversation ended.

Ming Li focused on watching the puppies eat.

A few puppies occasionally looked up at Zhou Zixi, who was standing motionless in front of them, as if wondering why he hadn’t left yet.

Zhou Zixi didn’t know why he hadn’t left either.

The two remained wordless, with only silence between them, yet it didn’t feel awkward or uncomfortable. He stood on the stone steps two paces away from Ming Li, looking down at his senior sister, who was resting her chin on her knees, watching the puppies with a tilted head.

A small self-braided strand hung down to her dress hem. It was almost summer, and the apricot blossoms along the mountain path had withered long ago, leaving only green foliage.

The wind moved the branches, making a rustling sound.

Zhou Zixi heard his voice say, “Senior Sister.”

Ming Li tilted her head to look at him.

“Some of the meat bones are too big, and the puppies are too small to eat them,” Zhou Zixi said. “I’ll chop them up first before feeding them.”

Ming Li watched eagerly as he took away the remaining large bones. The puppies also watched attentively. After Zhou Zixi walked away, they began to howl.

“Stop howling,” Ming Li pinched the neck of the one howling the loudest and lifted it, laughing at its bristling fur. “My junior brother is going to chop it up before bringing it back, not stealing from you.”

The puppy continued to howl.

Ming Li looked at it, then at the direction Zhou Zixi had gone, thoughtfully—they were alike, a dog with bristling fur.

After that day, Zhou Zixi often thought of the puppies on the mountain flower path, chopping up meat bones at the dining hall at specific times, and then bringing them to the puppies.

Ming Li was responsible for sitting beside them, watching the puppies eat.

Zhou Zixi always stood beside the seated Ming Li. He didn’t know why, despite thinking he should stay away from his senior sister, he couldn’t control himself from coming here.

Until one day, these puppies grew up and were taken away by people from various academies, and Ming Li stopped coming.

*

Zhou Zixi would still encounter Ming Li in different places, but Ming Li was always surrounded by many people, senior brothers and sisters from various academies. Ming Li would walk and chat with these people, not even giving them a peripheral glance.

It was always Zhou Zixi who spotted Ming Li first. If he didn’t speak up, and others didn’t greet her first, Ming Li wouldn’t give him a second look.

Zhou Zixi gradually realized it wasn’t that he was avoiding Ming Li, but that Ming Li had never paid attention to him.

There was no need to carefully and painstakingly avoid her, because his senior sister had never looked back at him.

Realizing this, Zhou Zixi didn’t feel relieved; rather, he didn’t feel happy at all.

That day, while practicing his writing, he was frequently distracted and was called out by Dong Yeshou several times, who asked what was troubling him.

Zhou Zixi picked up his brush again and resumed writing, shaking his head without saying anything.

At the next table, Qing Ying said while writing, “Is it because of Senior Sister?”

Zhou Zixi’s brush paused.

At the table beyond, Chen Zhou asked: “Did Ming Li scold you?”

Dong Yeyun, entering with a plate of fruit, asked: “Who did my sister scold?”

Zhou Zixi’s temple twitched slightly, and he lowered his voice: “No one.”

“By the way, my sister asked me to ask you where you hid her chili sauce jar?” Dong Yeyun asked Chen Zhou.

Zhou Zixi pricked up his ears.

Chen Zhou replied lazily: “Tell her to find it herself. If she can’t find it, she shouldn’t eat it.”

Qing Ying: “I understand now. The one scolded by Senior Sister was Senior Brother.”

Zhou Zixi learned that Ming Li liked spicy food, but to a degree, Chen Zhou considered it excessive. To make her eat properly, he would always hide Ming Li’s favorite chili sauce.

As if possessed, Zhou Zixi ran to Seven Star City to buy several bottles of chili sauce, compared the taste of each, and then made his own.

When he mastered it, he put the homemade chili sauce in jars and brought it to Ming Li.

That was Zhou Zixi’s first visit to Ming Li’s small courtyard.

After nightfall, stone lamps along the nearby paths lit up, attracting flying insects. In the summer night, fireflies appeared, dancing among the flowers in the courtyard. Water lilies quietly bloomed in the water tank, with fireflies resting on the edges, silently admiring.

Ming Li sat on a bamboo mat in the courtyard, her dress trailing on the ground, supporting her chin with one hand as she watched the blooming water lilies.

Zhou Zixi stopped at the entrance of the courtyard and called out to the person sitting sideways to him: “Senior Sister.”

Ming Li turned to look.

Zhou Zixi would never forget that look, no matter how many times he died.

When Ming Li learned her junior brother had come to bring her chili sauce, her eyes curved in a smile, star-like eyes dazzling, reflecting only Zhou Zixi’s figure.

Zhou Zixi wanted to be seen by Ming Li.

Wanted to be gazed upon by Ming Li.

Wanted to be the only one in Ming Li’s eyes.

Zhou Zixi didn’t understand romantic love. When love arose in his heart without his knowledge, he began to pursue the person standing on the mountain peak.

The gap between him and Ming Li was too great. Someone who originally didn’t care about cultivation became unprecedentedly serious about it.

Zhou Zixi began to consider how to advance further in the Eight Meridians Arrays, practicing high-level Eight Meridians spirit techniques day and night.

*

Initially, Zhou Zixi thought he wanted to gain his senior sister’s recognition in cultivation, until he saw Ming Li walking alongside several senior brothers and felt strangely uneasy.

Recently, Ming Li had returned from an external mission with Fu Yuan, and many at North Dipper had seen them. Subsequently, news that Senior Sister Ming and Senior Brother Fu Yuan were a couple somehow spread throughout North Dipper.

Ming Li herself didn’t care about such things, while Chen Zhou and others treated it as a joke.

Although Zhou Zixi knew it was a misunderstanding, he couldn’t help but scrutinize Senior Brother Fu Yuan from head to toe, finally concluding: not acceptable.

During this year’s Star-Pointing Gathering, disciples from all seven academies could participate.

Everyone gathered for a meal after a day of competition. Zhou Zixi and Qing Ying picked persimmons from Tianxuan Academy and distributed them to everyone. Their hungry fellow disciples devoured the food like starving ghosts.

Fu Yuan was sitting opposite Zhou Zixi. Just as he sat down, someone came saying Ming Li was looking for him, so he rose and left.

Black Fox Mask said, “This will cause even more misunderstandings.”

Qing Ying forcefully debunked the rumor: “Senior Sister is looking for him because of Tianji Academy’s matter.”

Liang Junxia slapped the table: “Now that I think about it, this thing between them makes me laugh uncontrollably, haha! Fu Yuan was previously bullied the worst by Ming Li, haha, he even has psychological trauma because of her, hahahaha!”

Yin Luo and Chen Zhou exchanged a glance, both bursting into laughter, joining Liang Junxia.

Zhou Zixi couldn’t laugh. Not only could he not laugh, but he silently took back the persimmon he had just given to Fu Yuan.

Fu Yuan returned rather quickly.

Upon returning, he found his persimmon missing and frowned, asking: “Where’s my persimmon?”

Seeing that Fu Yuan’s persimmon was gone, the others looked at their remaining persimmons and, without a second thought, grabbed them and started eating, afraid Fu Yuan might take them.

Fu Yuan: “…”